Shrouded Dementia
by Shrouded Dementia
Summary: Adrienne's dreams are invaded by the man of her darkest fantasies- the Joker. She brushes it off at first as just being one of her crazy dreams of lust, but slowly her nightly endeavors become so very real. Once in Gotham what will happen?
1. Let the Dreams Begin

**A/N: **Hey there, people! I'm so happy that I've got this posted finally! This is my very first fan fiction. SQUEE!

I hope you all are prepared for what is to come- this isn't exactly your everyday Joker fan fiction. This is going to be filled with murder, depression, and suicide. There is not going to be a happy ending to this. Many unpleasant things will happen. If you can't handle that then I suggest not reading this story.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Joker or any of that jazz. I do own Adrienne and the plot, though.

"Hellooo there…" An oily voice breathed out wickedly. Just after these words were uttered a warm body pressed firmly against my back. Finely toned muscles rippled at the subtle movements of this being behind me- this _man_ behind me. Hot breath palpated against my collar; a fit of shivers shot up my spine from the sudden warmth.

A gloved hand lay haphazardly atop my dainty shoulder. The hand was just itching to latch onto my neck as though its very fingers were leeches that would suck away my vitality. Muscles began to tense and convulse as this monster's mind debated on what to do next; fear pulsed through my wild heart as I anxiously waited. Fingertips dug deep into my shoulder blade, with every passing moment their grip was tightened.

Do _something_, I desperately thought. I badly wanted to yell these words out to him, screaming them in his ears. I did not dare do this, though; my mouth was frozen shut as was my body still. Fear was to blame.

My thoughts seemed to have been answered as the gloved hand glided up my neck and face, caressing every inch of my skin as it did so, finally resting on my head. Butterflies beat the lining of my stomach mercilessly as I sat as a waiting duck while the appendage loitered for a few short moments.

Tenderly, the fingers began to knead my scalp. Relaxation rushed over my body as these expert hands magically ran through my hair.

Just as quickly as it came, it was ripped away from me as the hand wrenched back my head by black locks. My neck was being held at a painful angle as I was forced to look up at the dark abyss that was engulfing our bodies. The unknown secrets hidden within the never-ending nothingness hugged me closely- much more so than this creature behind me.

An animalistic growl came from deep within the depths of this man's throat in response to my groans of protest. He seemed to be enjoying my complaints, my suffering.

I became aware of a foreign object resting on my neck as the cold surface touched my skin. This monster's serpentine tongue shot out from his mouth, gliding quickly over the horrendous scars; reminding him the reason behind his need to torment people with his sadistic mind games.

The jagged blade buried into the tender flesh of my neck, cracking open the outer layer of skin almost silently as it did so. Another lick to his scars and the blade began to delve deeper. I whimpered in ecstasy; the sensation of knives carving into my flesh had always felt more pleasurable than painful.

"…Miss Bellow." He hissed out, breathing shallowly down my neck. His dark eyes followed the blood that began to trickle down my neck, leaving behind a sickening slug-like trail of red. A devious tongue met the front of the line and lapped up the liquid longingly. My knees weakened at the unfamiliar feeling- I had never even had my first kiss, let alone be savored like some sort of lollipop.

A deep moan vibrated through the man's mouth as his taste buds went a-flight from the heavenly delicacy that is life. "Or, do you prefer Adrienne?" He inquired, his breath tickling the crook of my neck as he spoke.

I began to open my mouth and form my answer, ready to verbalize the 'yes' crawling up my throat, but was quickly stopped as my respiration halted from a pair of grimy yellow teeth gnawing at the soft cartilage in my earlobe. Trembles rolled through my being as a blissful sensation burned like wildfire.

"Toots- ya know, I've been expec-_t_-ing you." The man hissed darkly, unpleased with me for some reason that I had no knowledge of. The hand clutching onto my hair pulled back even further; now I was looking directly behind me. Emerald eyes should have gazed upon the face of my assailant, yet nothing graced my line of vision. Nothing but complete and total _darkness_.

A cheek caked in some sort of viscous substance rested on mine own, blemishing it. "It's not…" He growled whilst running the sharp slab of metal along the opposite cheek, "It's no-_t_ nice to make people wait." Each word slithered out from behind his clenched teeth, dripping in deadly venom.

"Wait?" I chocked out hoarsely due to the harsh bend to my vocal chords and esophagus. Confusion fogged over my mind as I pondered his words. Waiting- how could this be done if I had no intention to come here and meet with him? Though, possibly, he knew that I would be here and I came a little later than what he had wanted.

An oily giggle erupted from the man's disheveled lips at the innocence of my question. "Yes. _Wait_." He spat coldly, "Ya know- anxiously checking the clock every second, tapping your foot, impatiently walking back and forth…" He pocketed the gleaming knife in his jacket and soon replacing it was the bare skin of my thigh. "I would only expec-_t_ this behav-_ee-or_ from you, though. You haven't exactly been one to show _courtesy_."

Tempted I was to interject with a question, ask him what he meant by his idiotic babbling. The thought quickly left me, though, as the leathery hand rubbed the inside of my leg softly while the man growled eagerly into my ear. I screwed my eyes shut as his **excitement** became quite obvious, making me slightly uncomfortable.

The last thing that flew around my head was the shrill sound of sadistic cackling, piercing the cool air with the cruelty behind it…

My eyes shot open and warily glanced around the room, expecting that man to be standing over my body; watching me, _wanting me_… A cold sweat had formed on my forehead, wetting my dark hair and filling my nostrils with its sickening smell. My breathing was quick and shallow as I tried to fill my heart with enough oxygen.

A hand slowly made its way to my neck, feeling around for some sort of cut. Shakily, I sighed as I sat up, a hand swiping at the sweat on my brow.

I knew that voice- _that laugh_. Something about it caused a pang of lust to rush through my body and my knees to go slack. Something about the way that man had joked so easily in a situation so tense; the way he was so casual though his intentions were so dark. The way he enunciated each word so sharply to make his point. All so familiar.

I peered at my lovely Eeyore clock with reluctance: 5:43 AM. This morning the plush figure greeted me with a cheeky grin, laughing at my current situation of fatigue, rather than the normal loving look of the sad creature. Groaning in annoyance I pushed aside my royal blue blanket. "Stupid dream…" I muttered before unsteadily getting up from the plush bed.

A line of curses rushed from my mouth as I swayed side-to-side from my stupor. My vision went black from the sudden movements I made whilst trying to steady my frail body. Feet bracing the ground and hands hopelessly gripping the closest object, I finally was brought back to my senses.

The repulsive smell of cooking onions slid around my nose in a reminder of my current situation of grotesqueness. "I need a shower…" I said in disgust while sniffing my moist pits of doom, "I smell like a dirty jock-strap."

I went about my morning ritual as normal, thoughts of the dream gracing my mind ever so slightly. I was mainly thinking about what my lunch for the day would be, a sandwich or some soup.

Once all of my doings were complete, I marched myself out to the purple Volkswagen Bug parked in my driveway. Green upholstery covered each seat, therefore filling the car with one of my favorite colors. Purple and green- so beautiful together, so lonely apart. I plopped down onto the driver's seat and revved up the mechanical beast.

The sound of Marilyn Manson's voice filled the small car, greedily reaching into every little crevice. My fingers tapped along to the beat on the steering wheel, which I had wrapped in a beautiful green duct tape in order to hide the hideousness that burned my poor eyes before. I enthusiastically sang along to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, "If I Was Your Vampire"

_Beyond the pale  
Everything's black  
No turning back.  
Beyond the pale  
Everything's black  
No turning back._

I veered the car to the right, pulling into the parking lot of my job at the local Borders. My eyes were locked on the cold glass doors with much distaste. Do I dare to tread on those floors of false warmth and care? There was really not much choice to do this, actually. Going to my job was a duty to the society, as my father would put it, "One must work hard to have the luxuries of life." So, reluctantly I marched myself into that place of evil.

Standing at a register for hours and dealing with fussy customers wasn't exactly a bucket of joy, if you ask me. The arches of my feet were screaming in anguish because I had been standing at the same spot for such a long time. Shifting awkwardly with a sigh, my green eyes lurked over the clock's face.

"Lunch!" I screeched out in glee as I saw that the big and little hands were hovering over the '12' so gaily. I lurched over the slick counter top and gracefully landed on my feet with a triumphant smile. This earned myself a few looks of astonishment and scolding glares; I didn't care, though. I had wanted to do that for a long time now, but never really had a reason to do it.

The café smelled strongly of coffee and chocolate as I approached it dutifully, my lunch in hand. In response my stomach roared in hunger; it always got overly excited so easily. Caressing my stomach I tried to ease it, "Shh… I will fill you with many things of wonder shortly, my dear."

An elderly couple sat at a table not too far from mine; they were looking lovingly into one another's eyes. Their hands intertwined, gripping tightly in a beautiful embrace of commitment. My heart ached painfully; I could feel their adoration for each other emanating from them despite the few feet between us. Tears blurred my vision as I longingly watched them share little nothings of love.

Never has anyone gazed into my eyes as they did, nor has anyone held me so affectionately. I yearned to have something like that- at least half of the passion they shared.

I adverted my eyes the best I could and anxiously bit into my sandwich. Luckily for me the couple decided to leave just then, relieving me of the feeling of dread and want.

A few moments later my seemingly calm meal was interrupted by two teenaged girls yapping away obnoxiously.

"Oh. My. Gawd." A brunette exclaimed delightfully. "The Joker has to be the most smextastic guy ever." Her eyes glazed over with a look of distance as she recalled the wonders of The Dark Knight.

"Sarah, seriously. You have the worst taste in guys." Her blond friend interjected coldly. She shook her head disapprovingly at Sarah's obsessive thoughts. "It was Batman that was unbelievably good-looking."

"Excuse me, Zafo?" Sarah said in disgust. "The Joker was perfect… everything was amazing down to his laugh. What about your little Batman, huh? What amazing little things did he do?"

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. _His laugh_. My mind ran wild as I went over every little aspect of my dream. No wonder why it all seemed so familiar… the man was from my favorite movie. The very movie I had seen, about 10 times now, solely for this character- the Joker.

I mentally scolded myself. How could I not have noticed who it was at first? That was completely un-fangirl like of me to not catch. Now that I figured it out, though, I was excited. Finally this man graced my dreams. In such close quarters, too!

Butterflies went on a rampage as I remembered the way he touched me so sensually. The lust I felt from seeing him in the movies didn't compare to what I was feeling then. I wanted to relive that dream- except this time pounce on him and ravage his gorgeous being. Licking my lips, clips of fantasies rolled over my mind's inner movie screen. So badly I wanted to reenact these; to do the nasty with this insane creature.

The soft beeping of my wrist watch disturbed my dirty thoughts and brought me back to reality. Grunting angrily I marched off to the register of doom again- not even slightly ready to finish off my shift.

**A/N:** What did ya think, dearies? Please give me some pointers on what I can fix. I would really appreciate it!

Hah, the other night I had this weird Joker dream... well, it wasn't the real Joker. It was one of those people that you see on YouTube that dress up as the Joker and what-not. Well, we were at this huge indoor jungle gym thing. The Joker was in front of me and in front of him were these people that were climbing really slow and Mister J was not pleased by this. He was really annoyed... When we got to the top he exclaimed, "Finally! They were so frickin' slow!" Then he looked down and saw that we were like 300 feet above the ground. He freaked out and then this helicopter came and saved him. xD Yes... a helicopter. :P


	2. Lacey Undies?

**A/N:** Hey there, people! Thanks for reading my story- I appreciate it!

I really would like it if you guys would comment on what you think. Getting feedback is what I love. Constructive stuff is nice, too.

And- er, I'm not too sure this came out too peachy. I'm not the best at writing the cheery 'Yay!' stuff. I promise, though, that after the story takes a dip for the dark side the writing will be better.

**Disclaimer:** No pwnage of the Joker going on here- just Adrienne, Zoey, and the plot. :)

I awoke to sun's rays peeking in through the bedroom window. The warm beams kissed my cheeks and prodded my eyes eagerly, telling me it was morning time at last. Its glowing embrace welcomed me so lovingly to the brand new day. Sluggishly I began to rouse from my laying position. Orbs of emerald glanced at Eeyore, his gloomy expression was tinted with that festive smile again. "Nine o'clock… sweet."

Slightly to my pleasure yet still to my displeasure no dreams disturbed my sleep that night. Yes, it was nice that I could catch up on some much needed 'Z's, but the fact that I did not get to explore the wondrous fantasy land upset me. Those exciting illusions were what I slept for. Without them I wouldn't have the slightest desire to shut my eyes when the world went dark. To me, sleeping was merely a waste of useful time. Nothing more.

A yawn escaped the confines of my mouth and leapt out from my red lips. Slender arms reached above my head as I stretched the unused muscles; joints popping from their stiffness. Hopping up from the embrace of the blankets I moseyed on over to my mirror. The image that met my eyes was short from hysterical.

Black hair stuck out on end at odd places, making me vaguely resemble Pippy Long Stockings. My face was marked red by the creases of my pillowcase- an interesting design, no doubt. Clothing was tussled about and lay awkwardly on my thin frame. I stifled a fit of giggles as I observed my state of unkemptness. I attempted to smooth down the wild locks and straighten out my clothes; it was all futile, though. Everything simply jumped back to the way it was right after. With a huff of aggravation I roamed into the kitchen.

The aroma of fresh pancakes intermixed with the ever-present scent of lemons. This mixture may sound quite strange but it brought my senses to a point of rapture. The delicious sour-sweet blending with the sugary bread- _delightful_.

Ripping off a piece of the flat bread I hungrily shoved it into my mouth. Never have I put syrup on pancakes; the way it seeped into the little caverns and made them soggy repulsed me. The texture itself upset my stomach. Only whipped cream would be slopped onto these cakes of wonder; nothing more.

I slid onto the lumpy and worn recliner that I loved so very much, grinning cheekily. Its mouth devoured me as I sunk myself in deeper. This chair was so old and held many memories, there's no way I would ever get rid of it even if it smelled like dead fish.

Obnoxious banging and screeching filled my home as the Saturday morning cartoons turned on. Though childish they were, I loved these cute little animations. Their constant gaiety always uplifted my mood. Laughter occasionally rang out, so loud that it overshadowed the high volume of the television.

My eyes shone brightly as I watched the ongoing antics of Tom & Jerry. Always they were trying to outsmart each other for dominance of the house. I loved how the roles were switched, how it was out of the norm. Rather than the usual cat and mouse chase, the mouse overruled and beat the cat into oblivion. Then in comes the unruly bulldog and protects the little creature- its evil scowl frightening the cat away.

"Dumb cat," I rang out between my fits of giggles. "When is he going to learn that it's useless?" Shaking my head in dismay I watched as they hunted one another. "Give up, Tom! Jerry will always outsmart you, no matter how much you wish it wasn't true!" I screamed at the TV as though they could actually hear me. I knew this wouldn't happen, though. Despite their animosity towards the other they enjoyed their little game and didn't want it to end. The idiotic dog didn't quite understand this, though, and always ruined the fun.

As usual the show ended with a triumphant mouse and devastated cat. I sighed and shook my head disapprovingly, "I warned ya, Tom. Maybe you should learn from your lessons." I scolded the silly cat. No matter, it would never happen. They would always be too engrossed in what they were doing to pay attention.

The phone rang suddenly, nearly making me jump out of my skin. "Bloody hell…" I hissed out as I calmed slightly. I hated how someone always called at the most random of times.

_Zoey Rowe_, I read on the caller ID. With a squeal of joy I snatched up the phone and clutched it tightly. I haven't talked to my best friend in a few days now and missed it. She was always the highlight of my day. "Zoey!"

"Adrienne!" She squealed out excitedly. Obviously she felt the same as I; no surprise there. We had been practically inseparable since grade school.

"What's up?" I questioned feverishly. Usually when she took the time to call me it meant something interesting would happen. She had been scheming something- something _evil_ in her mind full of shopping sprees and rich boys.

"Well- I was just wondering…" She paused to create suspense. I could _hear_ that smirk that she had smacked on her rounded face. "If." Patience was never my thing and she very well knew this.

"Just say it already!" I snapped angrily, deathly gripping onto the phone as my temper flared. My green eyes darkened considerably as annoyance pumped through my veins readily.

"Take a chill pill, babe." Zoey giggled out as she relished in how easily she was able to push my buttons and set me off. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me." She finished non-chalantly.

"Uh- dur? You don't even have to ask me!" I didn't understand why she did this- she knew I would want to go with her. I would do anything with her. Zoey was my life source, my everything. Without her I don't know if I could survive in this world. Platonically, of course. "Where are we going?"

"Oh… I have a place in mind." Zoey said mischievously. This was never a good thing to come from her. Last time she said this we ended up in a pretty sticky situation.

"I'm not sure if I should trust you." I cautiously said. "When you say something like that we end up in a sex shop for gay men." I remembered that little _adventure _as though it was yesterday.

Zoey had called me just as today, inviting me to a store that she dared not to tell about. She said she had seen an add about it in the paper and that I would be pleasantly surprised when we got there. Boy was I surprised! I had been expecting to walk into a clothing store considering Zoey is constantly buying more clothes. That was certainly not the case, though.

Instead what we stepped into was an extravagant little shop with rainbow everything. Scantily dressed men were looking through racks full of risqué man-lingerie; animal print thongs, lacey thongs, etc. Pictures of male genitalia were strewn over the otherwise bare walls. I had run out of that place white faced and wide-eyed. The statement, "My poor virgin eyes," didn't come close to describe how I was feeling right then.

"Oh, shut up!" Zoey pouted in disdain. "I can't help it if my mind gets all fuzzy when I see the words, 'Hot men,' any where." Zoey was right on this. She never was able to control herself when it came to the opposite sex. Ever since we were but 10 she threw herself on all of the pretty boys.

"Yeah- it was saying that they wanted those hot men to come in and buy some kinky sex toys and man-thongs!"

"I'm coming to pick you up in an hour. Be ready, doll, or I'm leaving you."

"Love ya, babe." I cooed to her.

"Uh-huh." She chided before hanging up the receiver with a click.

I hurriedly got myself ready for the day, an hour really wasn't much time. I showered and combed out my wild hair so that it would finally sit flat on my head. Dressed in loose clothing with a pair of flip-flops; if we were getting clothes I wanted it to be easy to change.

I was putting on a bit of eye shadow when the front door burst open with a bang. "Come, my darling! I have come to…" Zoey paused to create a dramatic effect, "Take you away." In she ran and scavenged my home in search of me- eagerly looking in each door. Her soft blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she plodded through the hall.

I stepped from my bedroom and eyed this intruder skeptically, hands on my hips. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Kidnapping my _slave_, of course." Zoey giggled maniacally. She threw her hands up as she chuckled darkly. "Let us… shop!" She pounced on me and grabbed my wrists forcefully. Squeaking in shock, I struggled under her hold. Though she still was able to bind my hands together.

"No, no! Anything but this **torture** that you put me through!" I cried out, begging her to let me go. My eyes welled up and my body shook violently with mock-fear.

Blue met green as we gazed at one another silently. We were soon in a heap on the floor, laughing hysterically. "Oh, goodness!" Zoey chocked out between giggles. "You would be a wonderful actor, my dear."

I wanted to respond but my laughing stopped me from doing so. I was able to only mutter sounds of nonsense. Finally we calmed out laughter and stood. "Do with me as you wish, master." I said with a bowed head, my cuffed hands outstretched for Zoey to grab.

"I certainly will!" Zoey pulled on my arms and forced me into her car. Off we drove to the secret destination.

Soon we arrived at a little boutique in the outskirts of town. Other shops of similar looks outlined the cracking parking lot. The Missouri weather was to blame for the giant ditches in the dark cement. Here in this wonderful land it can go from burning hot one day to freezing cold and snowing the next. Being in the Midwest as we were meant that we got both the cold fronts from up north and warm fronts from the south.

Risqué clothing was on display in the large window. I raised an eyebrow and quizzically looked at Zoey. "Another sex shop? Really… I thought we already went over this." Zoey glared darkly at me as she gave me a nice smack on the arm.

"Shut up… it's not a sex shop." Zoey barked at me. "I'm sure this time."

I cautiously stepped into the entry way of the store, peering around nervously. I honestly expected there to be overly muscular men waltzing around with crazy leather whips in their hands and spiked collars on.

Tile floor and white walls was all that I saw. To my relief it was a simple lingerie store, not some plush shop with plastic playthings and fuzzy handcuffs lining every wall. Rather, beautifully sewn undergarments were hanging up every where.

"Told ya." Zoey said defiantly, smirking at me in bliss. Finally she actually did something right; there were no strange circumstances to come of our shopping today.

"That you did." I said, truly in shock at how nice everything was. No matter how strange this may sound, I was proud of her.

I breezed through the store and searched through all of the pairs of lacey underwear and push-up bras. Nothing seemed to catch my interest; everything had such pale colors that would just drain me of life.

I was about to walk out the door in frustration and wait for Zoey in the car, or maybe go through the other stores, when a lovely purple and green ensemble caught my eye. Green lace blanketed the beautiful purple satin that made up the bra and boy shorts. The two most amazing colors were so skillfully mixed together in this gorgeous set. I snatched them up and pranced off to the dressing room.

Gingerly stepping from behind the crimson curtains I looked into the full length mirror. A smile graced my lips as I gazed at myself in awe. Everything fit me like a glove. The bra gently pushed up my bosom, making it look fuller. The boy shorts covered my bottom and hips so perfectly. I was delectable…

"Here I come, world!" Zoey yelled out from her dressing room. "Prepare to be astonished." Her hand ripped open the soft curtain and glided out from behind. She stood with her hands held above her, showing off her body for all to see. Her head snapped in my direction and immediately she began to gush. "Adrienne… that looks so perfect on you!"

Red crawled up my pale cheeks from her complement. I bashfully looked at the rather interesting ground while fidgeting with my fingers. "Thanks…" I wasn't used to getting complements yelled at me with such jealousy. Hell, I wasn't used to complements at all. I had always been the girl hiding in the corner while her best friend was worshipped like a god.

"Who knew you had such a body!" Zoey exclaimed while looking me over. She, herself, had on quite a nice number. A baby blue bikini style pair of underwear hugged her bottom; a bra of the same color covering her chest. It was gorgeous, obviously. As was her body.

"Zoey… look at you. You look great, too." I said in an attempt to get the attention off of me. Of course this didn't work, though. Zoey shook her head violently and pointed a finger at me.

"Nah-ah, Hun. Compared to you I'm as bland as can be." She retorted with a scolding look. "You should buy that, babe. It was made for you."

"You think so?" I asked while looking myself over in the mirror again. I couldn't deny it; it really did seem as though this was made specifically for me. It was completely my taste, everything down to the clasp of the bra.

"No second thoughts."

"Alright… I'll buy it." I said with a curt nod. "You have to buy that, though." I wanted to make sure I got her into this, too. She really deserved to have something like that, but I know she wouldn't buy it unless I told her to.

"Fine with me." She said with a broad smile reaching from ear-to-ear.

As we walked out of the store, bags in hand, Zoey turned to me with a look of contemplation. "Ya know I haven't had a sleep-over in ages." She tested with raised eyebrows. I could see the question that was to come next and had an answer ready. "What do you say, babe?"

"Yeah. It would be loads of fun." I said, "We've got to do all of the old teenager things, too."

"Oh, certainly. We have to gossip, do facials, watch a movie, and pig out on high calorie foods." Zoey beamed with glee, grinning like the mad-man she really is.

My body tingled in excitement as I thought of the things we could do. To be honest, I was quite excited for gossiping. I wanted be a bitch and talk about people I barely knew. It may sound cruel, but all women have this inner desire.


	3. This Isn't Possible

**A/N: **Hey there, everyone! I'm so sorry that this took so long for me to get out. I've been really busy with school and everything, lately. I'll try and get chapters four and five out within the next day or two. No promises, though!

**Disclaimer: **I'm simply playing with these toys, I don't own 'em. Well, except for Adrienne, Zoey, and the plot.

Zoey and I sat on the plush purple carpet in the living room, giggling with one another over the silliest of things. My back leaned against the cheap coffee table; purple paint was peeling off and exposed the smooth wood hiding beneath the mask. I held my left foot firmly in my hand with the small brush in the other. Three nails had already been painted the soft violet base that was to be on each toe.

Our faces were caked in a mask of mint green goop that cracked and crumbled to the ground as it dried. Laughing was difficult to do as the mask constricted any kind of facial movement, though we still managed to do it.

"You should have seen the look on her face!" Zoey exclaimed in remembrance as our laughter came to a pause. We had been schmoozing for a while now, doing so as we pampered our slowly wilting bodies. It had been so long since I've taken the time to give myself the royal treatment.

"Must have been great!" I replied feebly due to my air shortage from the constant giggles. We were referring to an old _pal_ from the good old days in high school. This little pal of ours thought it was fun to poke fun at my awkwardness in social situations.

Zoey had a run in with her recently; it was eventful to say the least. The busty bimbo had waltzed into the vegetable isle in search of carrots and cucumbers for her romantic dinner of sorts. A subtle scoff of disgust left her plump lips as she looked Zoey over. She wouldn't have this- oh no. Zoey pounced and mauled her pray, making sure to take her revenge on this beast from the past.

Zoey wasn't allowed in the grocery store after that; she was considered a threat to the public.

A vat of ice cream was plopped down on the floor before me- cookie dough. Grinning eagerly down at me Zoey frantically nodded her head, a spoon hanging from her lips and another in her hand. "Let's feast!" She proclaimed, her words muffled from the silver utensil. She tossed the other spoon down at me and sat down excitedly.

"Ah, ah, ah…" I scolded while picking up the ice cream and moved it from her reach. "We watch." My hands motioned towards the decent sized television set. It came accompanied by a sound system that seemed more adequate for a movie theater than a home; speakers were in every corner of the room. "While we eat."

Zoey smiled broadly in agreement to my suggestion. "Deal." Hopping up she quickly made her way to the shelf filled with assorted videos. Azure eyes bore onto the hard plastic covers as she scanned over the titles individually; careful not to miss a single letter. Her index finger tapped lightly against her smooth chin as she debated. "What do you want to watch?"

"Anything is fine with me." My shoulders shrugged as my wrists flicked to the side in a jester of little care. As long as a movie had a decent plot and a good director it was worth my time. If it doesn't though… well, it gets ugly. "No crap, though." I added feverously; I knew Zoey's movie taste well. She watched those horrid corny romantic movies that have not even the slightest hint of actuality. They always made men out to be these perfect creatures that were sent down from heaven to hold and protect. That's a big fat lie- men are pigs, dogs, and other vulgar insulting names.

Zoey gave a mischievous grin as she slid the DVD onto the tray. Her fingers pushed gently- it all seemed to drag, as if in slow motion. Something was very wrong… I could feel it.

Sitting herself beside me on the lime couch, her grin still rested on her elegant features. A sudden panic filled my senses as I thought of what terrible deed she could have done. "What did you put in?" I frantically asked- desperation oozing from my pores. My eyes peered over her face in an attempt to read her. She knew my trick, though, for she kept her face as blank as possible.

"You'll see… you'll see…" She replied malevolently. A deep chuckle erupted from her vocal chords as my demise was being plotted in her sick mind. My knee began to bob up and down- a bad habit of mine- in anxiety. I was anticipating something absolutely dreadful to pop onto that screen; something that would haunt my dreams for weeks to come.

"No, no!" I cried out in anguish as the title graced my eyes. _Pride and Prejudice_- the worst of the worst, if you ask me. Turning to face Zoey my face held nothing but the look of a tortured soul. How could she do this to me? "Why…? How did this bloody movie even end up in my house?" It was simply impossible that I owned that movie- I would never buy something so pointless.

"Uh- hun, it was given to you as a gift from your not-so-informed mother." Zoey said incredulously due to my forgetfulness. I had never been good at remembering things- they always seem to leave my mind. Except, of course, if I actually want to forget something; then it sticks to me like the plague.

Zoey dug her spoon into the depths of the creamy goodness that is cookie dough ice cream and shoved it into her waiting mouth. She happily devoured the delicious dairy desert as she wiggled around in her spot- clearly she loved every disgustingly corny moment.

Slithering like a snake my hand went towards the remote. It seemed to be glowing in a golden gleam while a chorus sang a beautiful chord as I came closer and closer. First it was piano, soon forte. My fingers hovered over the red button that read 'Stop', just itching to press it. Before I could do so, though, Zoey snatched it out from under my hand.

"Suck it up, you pussy." Zoey scolded as she threw the remote aside. It hit the ground with a soft thud; where, though, I had no idea. Obviously that was Zoey's goal.

"Yes, yes I am a pussy." I replied feverously while nodding my head. Those words rang so very true when it came to moments in time such as this. I had no idea what it was about romance movies, but they always made me so uncomfortable. Maybe it was the fact that I badly want something like those relationships, or possibly the fact that the people seem to be so perfect. I suppose I'll never really know.

"Adrienne… if you need to, you can hold my hand." Zoey cooed to me, a teasing look in her eyes. She outstretched her hand and placed it atop mine in a slightly comforting way.

"Shut up." I snapped before ripping my hand from her grasp. I didn't want her to falsely comfort me; she really meant nothing by any of it. My arms crossed across my chest; sulking solemnly as the rest of the upsetting movie played.

I sprang up from my spot as the ending credits came on. Hissing as if the DVD was burning my skin, I quickly set it in its rightful case and tossed it aside. "Never again shall I watch that horrid excuse for a movie!" I proclaimed proudly, thrusting my hand in the air.

"Oh, Adrienne… I hope I find a guy like that someday." Zoey sighed out in bliss. Her blue eyes glazed over as she went off into fantasy land, dreaming about perfect men and perfect dates.

"Zoey… sorry to disappoint, but- ah, men are pigs and jackasses." I scoffed in disgust. "Well, except for the crazies. They… they are amazing." Now it was my turn to go off into fantasy land. Images flashed before my mind's eye of being thrown against the wall in a violent kiss, blood most likely being drawn.

"Adrienne, you're a creeper."

"Hey! I am not a creeper!" I defended with hurt. This is not creeper like at all- I prefer to call it by its rightful name. Hybristophilia: when one is sexually aroused by someone who has committed gruesome crimes. Oh, yes… I like the violent crazies.

"Yuh-huh, just keep telling yourself that, babe." I began to inch my way towards the couch again; Zoey was giving me a menacing and cheeky grin. Her hands hovered over the nearby pillow, twitching impatiently. Just waiting for the pristine moment to pounce on her pray. As soon as I was close enough she snatched up the pillow and smacked my behind. I gasped at the unexpected contact, but soon recovered and grabbed up my own pillow.

"Do you wish to fight?" I threatened her. Answering my question she smacked me yet again in the bottom, laughing maniacally. "So be it!" I screamed with a loud smack of fabric on skin. So the battle commenced…

Zoey and I lay on the floor with our chosen fighting implements resting in our clutches. Our breathing was labored from running around and beating each other senseless with the cushiony weapons. "Uh…" I grunted out as I smacked Zoey one last time before tossing the pillow aside. "I win." I said in triumph, raising my hands into the air weakly.

"You wish." Zoey huffed out between her pants for breath. She brought the pillow that was in her grasp above her head, ready to attack me. Her fingers were too weak to hold on, though, for it was dropped and hit her in the face. "Okay… you win." She said defeated. We laid in silence for a few moments while our bodies cooled down from our exertions, the only thing heard was our breathing.

Suddenly I turned to face Zoey, emerald eyes twinkling. "We need to do a Ouija board." At almost every sleep over I had in my youth some sort of paranormal activity was done. Since we were going to do the normal sleep over things a Ouija board was needed.

"Uh- alright." She said cautiously.

"Awe… is Zoey scared?" I teased. Now I could get my revenge on her for making me watch that horrific movie. Zoey slowly nodded her head. "Too bad!" I jumped up and searched for the needed items for our little game.

Zoey and I sat ourselves on either side of the purple coffee table; each of us quivering in anticipation. Candles flickered wildly, sending an eerie glow about the otherwise dark room. Breathing and our own thoughts were the only sounds floating through the cool air.

I had done many Ouija boards in my youth; I remembered each and every experience clearly. The way my arm ached so deeply as the spirits overtook it; the way my stomach filled with anxiety and excitement as soon as the planchette would glide across the board to answer our questions.

I remembered the way people cried in fear as a small group and I engaged in this board game. The sobbing bunch of girls begged me to stop immediately for they were horrified of the beings that spoke through it. At first I refused to halt the game, my body filling with bountiful energy and joy while we spoke to a familiar spectre. I finally gave in as their pestering plucked at my nerves like a guitarist to its instrument. In exchange for me stopping my fun I cruelly gave my lovely spirit friend the right to harm the annoying girls.

To my surprise he seemed to have taken up my offer, for the following day someone, whom I particularly had little to no liking for, suffered from an attack of some sort, asthma possibly. I had known it was my doing, but I felt no remorse- rather _joy _from her suffering.

We delicately placed two fingers each upon the small shot glass, resting so gently on the smooth surface they were barely making contact. Blue met green as Zoey and I glanced at one another, silently telling of our mutual readiness to begin. My lids closed over my emerald orbs as I breathed in deeply, clearing my mind of its daily thoughts.

"Is anybody there?" I asked in a haunting voice, playing into the aura created from this sinister environment.

Our breaths were long and shallow as we sat, waiting for the glass to twitch and glide towards its answer. A few long moments later I asked the same question. Shortly after the planchette jutted to the left, inching its way to the eloquently etched word 'Yes.' A pang of bliss shot through my being, causing my body to jolt suddenly; my arm twitching awkwardly as we placed the glass back in the center.

"What's you name?" Zoey questioned this time, her head cocked to the side in a jester of curiosity. The planchette failed to even give the slightest jump as we waited for a reply. Becoming impatient, she asked another question, "Are you willing to share your name?" A twitch to the right came soon after; hovering cautiously over 'No.' Zoey gazed up at me, obviously uncomfortable with our friend keeping a hidden identity. I could see the question sitting in her eyes, asking permission to quickly end the game.

"Why won't you tell us your name?" I asked in reply to Zoey, my eyes staring into hers all the while. A twinkle of worry glimmered in her azure eyes at my response to her unspoken question and lack of comfort in the situation. I merely smiled at her, a certain cheekiness shining behind it brightly.

The spirit spelled out the word 'Secret' as it flew gracefully over the letters. My interest in this unmentionable being increased as the mysteriousness grew. "Do you know either of us?" I questioned softly, raising my eyebrows with curiosity. Zoey flinched noticeably as the glass landed on the word 'Yes,' taunting us. My heart beat picked up as the excitement seemed to grow with each passing moment.

"Who?" Zoey finally chocked out nervously, fidgeting about in her spot. 'Not you,' the board read, seemingly having a tone of incredulousness and disgust. "Adrienne…" Zoey whispered harshly, both scolding me for this and in shock whilst I grinned ear to ear from the spirits declaration. "Why are you talking to us?" Zoey asked with much distaste. 'Why not?' the spectre responded teasingly, pushing Zoey's buttons oh so joyously.

The glass began to move without us asking a question; this worrying both of us. Despite my experience with this game something like this has never happened to me before. 'Remember last time?' the board asked me. Confusion blurred my thoughts for a moment until realization suddenly hit me. The girl whom I harmed by intention rather than by hand. Was this the same spirit from so many years back?

"Is this who I think it is?" I asked cautiously, hoping that the being was able to get into my thoughts to know whom I was talking about. Zoey sat in silence for she had no clue what was being talked about; she kept herself still as she waited for the spectre to answer my interrogation, though.

The planchette crawled to the right, mercilessly gleaming over the two letter word nobody enjoyed hearing or reading. "Then- who?" I asked, completely baffled by who this could be. The glass seemed to cackle coldly at me as it spelled out the words, 'Think and listen.' Listen? That made no sense what-so-ever. I didn't understand how I would be able to listen to anything with a simple board game.

Wait… I could actually hear the laughter. I snapped my eyes to Zoey's face, searching for any sign of horrid terror on her features as she, too, recognized the bone chilling sound. Unluckily for me she was only mildly frightened and showed no signs of hearing anything out of the norm.

Cold chills shot through my spine as I figured out who had been talking to us. 'Yes' the spirit said in reply to my unspoken revelation.

Nervous laughter erupted from my slender lips as I ran my free hand through my black locks. "That's enough for tonight!" I said quickly, "Goodbye." It made no sense to me. How could he talk to me here? He was just a fictional character after all.

Zoey paled considerably; she knew that if I was scared it to be something bad. The glass began to slide over each letter of the alphabet in a rebellious manner, not wanting to leave me just yet. I snatched up the planchette and placed it upside down over the word 'Goodbye' written on the board. According to something I had read before, he had been trying to escape the small confines of the board to better harass my best friend and I.  
I carefully lifted the board from the table and placed it in its rightful box. I discarded the cardboard contraption in the hallway closet; leaving it there to collect dust until the next time of usage; which was most likely not going to happen.

"That was- er, interesting." Zoey said nervously, attempting to lighten the uneasy air about the room. I smiled in her direction as I placed the candle snuffer over the small flames.

"Let's go to sleep, now." I said soothingly, moving towards my sleeping destination. A reassuring smile graced my lips as I glanced at Zoey, her face full of nervous fear. Zoey shuddered as a crawling sensation itched at her lower back; paranoia evading her mind greedily.

I, myself, was only vaguely disturbed. Then again I actually had knowledge of who had spoken to us while Zoey hadn't the slightest notion. Her hands clutched her pillow tightly, holding it as though it would somehow be her protector of the night, warding off the unwanted entities.

Pulling my stuffed creature into my own grasp, I laid down in the small couch. I subconsciously twiddled with the strands of wispy fibers sewn into the duck's head. My free hand clasped onto my childhood blanket, oh so affectionately called my 'bubby'. The pressed and silky edges pushed beneath my long nails, putting pressure on the sensitive skin beneath. This has always been a habit of mine; hard to break though not necessary to do so.

"Adrienne?" Zoey whispered into the dark after a few short moments of silence, us merely laying around in an attempt to calm our ever-present nerves. I turned my head to face Zoey, or at least where I assumed she was by listening to where her voice had come from.

"Yeah?" I asked coolly as my comforting habits began to take affect; sending endorphins through my veins and giving me a pleasant calm.

"Who was talking to us?" She asked innocently, her tone reminding me of a small child. Asking a question that seemed so gentle yet had a hidden darkness due to the horrifying answer that she wouldn't understand. Just as a parent would to their troubled child, I replied as discreetly and soothingly as possible. I doubted she would have believed me if I were to be brutally honest, though. She may have called me insane for thinking it was a make believe man whom filled my fantasies with bliss.

"Someone that I think about a lot." I said, hoping that Zoey wouldn't ask any further questions and accept my reply. To my displeasure she did the opposite, though.

"Then- then why was it being so… creepy?" She asked, again in innocence. I chose to ignore this question and act as though I had fallen asleep, as though I had been sent off into the land of many worlds and creatures. The same land where this feral being lurked, awaiting for the perfect moment to pounce on the innocent passersby, simply entering the mysterious land for short moments of time in the snippets of REM sleep.


End file.
